New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-22
FROE SPRAGU E AND MILLS COLLEGE,
HIS EXPERIENCE AS PRESIDENT OF THAT INsrr

HIS EXPERIENCE AS PRESIDENT OF THAT INsTf-
TUITION
To the Editor Of The tribune
SIR 1t would be difficult to compress into equal
space more errors than contained in paragraph
attacking me California dispatch to your paper Of
August IA Chief among them is tho assertion that 1
have written q threatening letter to the present
head Of Mills College," Dr. @. c. etratton formerly OF
Oregon and Salt Lake City. Allow TO say that have
never written him letter containing threat that
have with him and had that Ihave
NO wish to revive scandalous charges against him.
and that wonder his friends should apparently seek to
have these charges again discussed in the newspapers
II those unsavory matters might sleep till L. or some
person by my consent, should stir them up they
would never wake. / did In most private
and friendly note, and with unusual precautions
against publicity suggest to him. and TO him alone, what
thought might be useful for him To consider before
finally accepting the position he now holds He had
kindly expressed strong sympathy with me while ocou
piod tho place. and In return sought confdentaly TO
render him service for which most persons would have
been grateful.
Your correspondent alleges that was forced to re-
sign" never resigned. He says my "desre to run
things led to his my downfall" Having been engaged
by contract writing expressly "to run things on the
sde proposed to do so to tho Dost or my
ability the only line which an Institution OF learn
ing can lasting the line of simple integrity
and STRAIGHTFORWARD good faith at all points,
my that contrary to IL. loud professions the
school not in any sense public enterprise. but
private concern owned by irresponsible lady TO whom
the supposed trustees" abandoning tbeiT duties, had
secretly leased till July 1882 and that was expected
TO conceal this in soliciting donations and TO carry
nv work on with ever fresh instalments OF false pre-
tences all the while neither moro nor less than
her hired servant and occasional public figure head and
whom lad labor ed In for months TO mako the In
condition OF the school with Its outward as
sumptons, quietly and privately severed my oonnec-
ton with it, Attacked At once and repeatedly In column
after column the daily press OF San FRANCISCO and TO
fused all opportunity OF vindcaton through the same
friends q pamphlet. whlzh some OF my enemies may
Ny private and persistent efforts to place the
upon honest basis had thus excited UNI
pleasant controversy which my adversaries had made
public but the controversy was not with Dr. stratcn
nor could 1t have been forcseen, any more than tho
leasing OF the college could have been suspected Sur
prsing II that plain Issue OF right and wrong
should have placed In antagonism 10 lady euch as
the supposed to bel more surprising still that
her advisers should have made public that antagonsn
by their disclosures TO newspaper reporters and now
surprising OF all 10 II that those same persons should
persist forcing again upon public atsnton those for
gotten "scandalous charges against DE- stratton
cannot understand these people.
1But my "downfal"l That was when was entrapped
into the acceptance OF what apparently most honor
ton OF the ladys assistant hired do her private bid
ding "spraguo IL still here In California delivering
lectures says your correspondent oit
that State than two months ago and my snake
and other lectures have aimee been delivered on
more than twenty occasions and TO many thousands OF
Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan,
as well at Round Lake and Chantauqua, ~ y
HOMER b. spRAGUE.
Nee Haren, Conn, Aug. IS. 1887.